The Stars Mean Nothing to Me
by dbtwics
Summary: After catching Ron with another woman, Hermione finds her life in a spiral of chaos and confused feelings. A proposition from a childhood crush sends her on a journey she definitely wasn't expecting. Shameless Ron-bashing and smut galore. Alternate universe, where instead of falling through the Veil, Sirius is captured by the Ministry and survives. *Currently looking for a beta!*
1. Chapter One

Chapter One

I blinked. Was I hearing things or had those word actually came out of his mouth?

"Are you bloody out of your mind?" I blurted out before I could help myself. His wolfish grin said everything I needed to know. My face, already flaming from the question he had asked, got even redder as I started to splutter out half words and indignant noises.

"I-erm- you- me?! BROOM CLOSET??" I finally seemed to utter an actual phrase before fading back into an embarrassed silence.

"If I had known that was all it would take to send the great Hermione Granger into a tailspin I would have asked ages ago," Sirius Black laughed as he kicked his feet up onto my desk. After Harry and Dumbledore had worked tirelessly to clear Black's name after he had been captured in the Ministry during the showdown in their 5th year, he had taken to freedom quite nicely. 5 years after his release and three years after the defeat of Voldemort, Sirius started to look like a human again. Long gone was the gaunt face of a man haunted by unexplainable horrors and the skeletal body of a starving dog. His smile was bright enough to light up my dim office in the Department of International Magical Cooperation.

I opened my mouth as if to reply but then quickly snapped it shut. How was I supposed to reply to that type of statement? I thought for several seconds, his bemused face not helping one bit.

"And suppose I said yes to your ludicrous proposal?" He rolled his eyes at my word choice and then opened his mouth.

"Well you'll just have to wait and see, won't you Granger?"

Three Weeks Prior*

"GET THE BLOODY HELL OUT OF MY HOUSE RONALD WEASLEY," I screamed throwing things at him and brandishing my wand. That absolute _arse_ had the audacity to bring another woman into my home, my bed. I let out a scream of unbridled rage and flicked my wand so hard he flew all the way down the stairs. He stood there, red from head to toe, boxers the only clothing he managed to pull on before I had put a full body bind on the stupid bint in our room. He just stood there, saying nothing and taking my abuse because he knew he dserved it.

He started to reach a hand out and from 15 feet away I still felt a shudder of revoltion go through my body. I flicked my wand again and he froze, unable to move or speak. I turned and headed back into the bedroom. Frozen on _our_ _bed_ , Cho Chang looked at me, the fear evident in her gaze. I mentally played through my current options, each more sinister than the last. I finally decided on the least problematic of options; I quickly packed my beaded bag, unfroze Cho and Ron and Disapperated before either one could say a word.

I opened my eyes and the comforting view of Shell Cottage greeted me. Fleur came out of the front door, her largely swollen belly preceeding her. She waved and grinned widely and I felt a twinge of guilt for not visting her more often.While I was never fond of her while in school and in the weeks leading up to her and Bill's wedding, using Shell Cottage as a safe house during the hunt for Horcruxes brought us closer together than I would have thought possible. Three years later and she's become a sister to me in the same way that Ginny had. And thankfully, she was too pregnant to do anything about what had just happened. Which was the main reason I went to her instead of Ginny because if I had seen the redhead first I'd have to explain to Molly why one of her children was maimed and another was in Azkaban.

I rushed forward and squeezed Fleur tightly, doing my best to avoid her protruding stomach. She laughed throatily and squeezed me back.

"Ah I've missed you too but if you squeeze any harder, the baby might pop right out!" The years of working at Gringotts had lessened but not entirely removed her accent. We grinned widely at each other, my anger momentarily gone but still burning in the back of my throat. We turned around and headed into the cottage before I opened my mouth to tell her why I was here. As if she could read my mind, she grabbed my hand after carefully lowering herself into a kitchen chair and said, "I'm happy to see you but it is unexpected. Did something happen?"

My throat burned and my eyes started to water against my will. My thumb started to twist the engagement ring that sat on my finger, it's place for the last two years. I took a deep breath and opened my mouth.

"I caught Ron in bed with another woman," the silence that followed my statement deafened me. Before I knew what was happening, Fleur's face contorted in anger. Her hair started waving as if from an unseen wind and she looked more Veela than I had ever seen her. She let go of my hand and struggled to stand, reaching for her wand and cursing violently in French.

I quickly got up and gently pushed her back into the chair. "Please don't! The last thing I need is Bill coming for me because I sent you into premature labor," I half-laughed as she huffed and her hair slowly came to a standstill. Her face was still full of rage and redder than I thought her pale skin could get.

"Explain," she said breathing heavily, one hand still on her wand and the other slowly rubbing circles on her stomach. And before I could even stop it, everything flowed out. The weeks leading up to today, Ron withdrawing and "working late", the angry outbursts when I asked simple questions about his assignments, the late night floo calls and finally finding Cho in our bed. At her name Fleur snorted derisively and rolled her eyes.

"Years later and she still is an annoying _connasse._ " I laughed, my knowledge of French slang and cuss words far more vast than I would ever admit to anyone. She huffed again and I knew I wasn't off the hook yet. She narrowed her eyes and studied me, correct in her assessment that I truly wasn't okay. I looked down at my finger again and wrenched the ring off, setting it on the table between us. This ring- a symbol of love and the promise of a happy life together- now made me physically ill to look at. _Oh Merlin-_ the wedding. It was set for a month from now and the thought of having to _tell everyone_ sent me into a spiral. I gasped and swiped the ring off the table, tears running down my face.

Fleur reached out and grabbed my hand and I started to cry harder. I heard my own gasps for air between choked sobs and I knew this was going to be a long night.


	2. Chapter Two

I studied Sirius again, still unsure of how, ahem, _serious_ he was being with me. I heaved out a sigh, though it had been years since the crush I had on him started, it always burned in the back of mind. He smirked at me and in that moment I knew I completely and utterly screwed. I closed my eyes and barely breathed out my answer.

"Okay."

Before I knew what was happening, he had jumped to his feet, grabbed my hand and all but dragged me out of my office. I started to protest the handholding and he slowed to his normal, casual jaunt, while I clumsily fell into stride next to him. His body heat radiated into my flesh from the close proximity and I shivered. He had let go of my hand but I could still feel where the contact burned. Before I knew it, he had dipped to the side and with one arm around my waist pulled me into the broom cupboard. He shut the door and turned to look at me.

I could feel my face heating up even more than it already was under his gaze. I started to open my mouth but he stopped me with a raised hand. I shut my mouth and slumped against the wall. He chuckled softly and the noise shot through me causing a heat I haven't felt in months.

"No need to get so worked up, kitten. You are the one that agreed to this," he winked and again, a delicious heat shot straight down to my core. I twisted my face into the best scowl I could muster at the pet name but I knew it looked half-hearted at best. He smirked again and I knew if he kept it up my panties would be soaked before he even touched me.

He put his hands on either side of my head and leaned over my much shorter frame. I shivered in anticipation and his grin widened when he realised what I was doing. He continued to study me and it seemed as if he was calculating the best way to phrase what he was about to say.

"If this makes you uncomfortable in anyway, if you just can't handle what's happening, just tell me and I'll stop immediately. I never want to make you feel anythi-" he wasn't able to finish his sentence because I had grabbed his head and pulled his mouth down to mine.

I couldn't stop the moan that escaped my lips as his hands left the wall to grip my waist. This was better than I could have ever dreamed; he was everywhere and nowhere at the same time. Hands ghosting over my sides, lips and teeth nipping at my mouth and neck. His hands finally found a home in my hair and the pressure from him winding his fingers in it made me gasp. He took the opportunity at my opened mouth to plunge his tongue in and if I had died right then and there it would have made no difference to me.

He tasted of honeysuckle and something much muskier, darker and absolutely delicious. I brought my hands from his hair to his neck, slowly down his chest and, before I even registered what I was doing, started to undo the belt he was wearing. His soft chuckle brought me back to reality and his hands slowly encircled my wrists.

"Let's not get too over-eager love," he panted, clearly just as affected by the kiss as I was. I ducked my head into his chest, slightly ashamed I had gotten so ahead of myself. We were in a closet, in the Ministry, during the middle of the day for Circe's sake.

He let out a soft laugh and brought my face up with a gentle hand under my chin. He wiggled his eyebrows at me before breathing out, "We can always go back to my place." He grinned and I shoved at his chest, abet with no real malice behind it.

"For _fuck's sake_ , it's the middle of the day and we both have jobs to do!" I sidestepped him and reached for the door handle, other hand smoothing down crumpled clothing and my hair, which from the feel of it, was well beyond smoothing down.

"Well if not right now, how would you feel about dinner later?" I stopped in my tracks, hand still extended. He asked for a snog and now he wants dinner? I breathed deeply and turned back to him. His face was pink with either overexertion or embarrassment and I honestly couldn't tell which. I breathed again before answering.

"I should be finished with paperwork around 6. I'll see you then," and with that I darted out of the closet without waiting for his answer.

Three weeks ago*

I stood shaking in the garden of my favourite, well _used to be_ favourite home. After the conversation I was about to have with Molly, I wasn't planning on returning anytime soon. I squared my shoulders and walked determinedly towards the kitchen door. I walked in and was not at all prepared for the scene before me. I had hoped to catch Molly on her own but she was at the table with Ginny, George and Harry. I sighed deeply.

"Hello everyone," I said, my tone signaling I wasn't exactly in the best of moods. Molly jumped up and engulfed me in such a tight hug that I almost burst into tears right then and there.

"Oh Hermione, dear, we weren't expecting you! Take a seat and I'll fetch you a cuppa," I sank down into the chair next to Harry and from the look on his face, he already knew why I was here. He grabbed the hand I had rested on the table as Molly placed the steaming cup of tea in front of me.

"So what's new with you honey? I feel like you and Ron haven't been by in ages," Molly said still oblivious to the fact I was uncomfortable. I paled further at her words and Harry, bless him honestly, grabbed Ginny by the hand and asked George if he fancied a fly around the orchard. I was barely aware of them exiting the kitchen, leaving Molly and I alone. I heaved another sigh and braced myself for my own words.

"I am- erm, Merlin this is uncomfortable, I'mleavingRonbecausehecheated," I rushed out all in one word. The beat of silence following my statement seemed to last a lifetime. Molly blinked twice, as if trying to make sense of what I said and the did the unexpected. She sunk her head down and heaved out the saddest sigh I had ever heard from her.

"Leave it to Ron to muck up the only good thing in his life," she muttered, half to herself, half to me. I snorted and she laughed almost bitterly.

"Well I hope you already know this doesn't change how I feel about you at all, you've been a daughter to me since you were 13 and my idiot of a son isn't going to change that." At these words the dam I built up finally crumbled and I burst into tears. Molly came and sat next to me, wrapped her arm around me and let me cry about the loss of my soulmate.


End file.
